The present invention pertains generally to a separator for diverting particulate matter from an air flow while venting the air flow away from the collected matter.
In wide use presently are hot glue melt tanks used in various industrial applications where large quantities of glue are utilized. Commonly pellets of glue are stored at a site remote from a glue melt tank for subsequent transfer to the tank via a conduit air flow inter-mittently charging the tank with pellets. The viscous glue produced by the melted pellets is drawn off of the tank for application to a variety of articles, usually containers. Hot melt glue tanks have heretofore been vented to permit escape of the pressurized air flow utilized for pellet delivery. The air flow entering the tank is of such force as to splatter melted glue about the tank interior of times resulting in a tank vent becoming clogged, or at least impaired to the extent a back pressure results in the pellet delivery conduit to impede the conveyance of pellets from storage site to tank. Cleaning of tank vents to remove hardened splattered glue is an arduous, time consuming task, which of course interrupts tank operation. Additionally, the infusion of an air flow into a hot melt glue tank diminishes tank efficiency requiring a greater expenditure of energy to keep same at the requisite elevated temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,089 discloses an apparatus utilizing transfer conduits delivering glue pellets with a pressurized air flow for discharge into hot melt glue tanks.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,812,217 discloses a separation device for removal of fibrous tobacco from an air flow by means of a screen interposed in parallel and between inlet and outlet conduits.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,644 discloses a separator wherein a screen is disposed in a shallow angular relationship with inlet and outlet conduits for removal of shredded tobacco from an air flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,616 discloses a separator wherein a filter is diagonally disposed relative coaxial inlet and outlet conduits with provision made for reversing an air flow through the filter for removal of fibrous waste therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,165 discloses a pneumatic conveyer system with provision made for diverting partial air flow through a bypass element, located upstream from a separator, to reduce operating vacuum or pressure of the system, particularly when an inclined screen thereof is clogged.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,345 discloses a separator utilizing a cylindrical grid serving to remove material from an air flow for discharge downwardly through a collector. A positionable flap at the throat of the separator alters the flow of air and particles about the cylindrical grid.